Heavenly Creatures

"Not all angels are innocent."

Heavenly Creatures is a movie based on true events which took place in New Zealand. The story centers around the friendship between two young teenage girls who come from very different backgrounds. Pauline comes from a prim and proper family and has a personality which is somewhat withdrawn. She has trouble making friends and spends most of her time alone or studying. One day she meets Juliet, who is her complete opposite. Juliet is free spirited and imaginative, as well as very pretty. Pauline is immediately drawn to her and the two develop a very strong bond of friendship.

The two girls create an imaginary world where kings, princes and members of the court are at their beck and call. They create a fantasy world where they can receive the love and attention they are missing from their families. Juliet's parents travel a lot, often leaving her alone, which terrifies her. The story also touches on a lot of the emotions young teenage girls feel. These emotions include sexual feelings which they often explore. As the story unfolds, Pauline's mother becomes concerned about the friendship her daughter has with Juliet. Ultimately, she forbids Pauline to see her friend anymore.

Pauline's mother also makes her see a therapist to help her daughter overcome her sexual feelings. Pauline has always hated her mother and the events which take place after she meets Juliet, begin to push her over the edge. In an effort to solve all her problems, Pauline and Juliet begin planning ways to kill Pauline's mother. The movie goes into some of the mental behaviors exhibited by the girls and especially Pauline. There are times when they imagine they are actually in their fantasy world and the characters are brought to life. The events which take place occur at a time when society did not accept improper thoughts from young girls. The preferred method of treatment was shock therapy. This movie does end in tragedy.